Mattress and the like and method of producing it



April 8, 1942- I I R. w. MARQUARDT 2,281,104

MATTRESS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed Dec. 30,1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ravine-. W. Mggquazcn' {ATTORNEYS April 1942- R. w. MARQUARDT 2,281,104

MATTRESS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed Dec. 30, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R EINMm-D W- MMlquARoT Mu! warm ATToRNEYs April 1942- R. w. MARQUARDT 2,281,104

MATTRESS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed Dec. 30, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATTRESS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,424

25 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in mattresses and the like, and methods of producing them. By mattresses I wish to include all mattressing of like nature.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide by a novel method and construction a mattress or the like in which the tufting is wholly concealed within the ticking and is nevertheless connected not only to the padding but, with unusual strength and permanence, to the ticking itself.

In the preferred form of this invention the tufting is actually complete, independently of the ticking, but the strings or cords used in tufting have a supplemental anchorage to the ticking as a means of fastening it at intervals to the body of the mattress.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective showing a partially assembled mattress body.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a step in one process of using this invention in the application of the top ticking to the mattress body.

Figure 3 is a similar View showing the mattress body inverted and illustrating a step in the process of applying the bottom ticking thereto according to said process.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail i view of the finished mattress as it appears in cross section.

Figure 5 is a view of one of the face tickings in perspective, illustrating a plurality of steps involved in the application of ties thereto for.

use in the aforesaid process.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view showing in perspective a single tie as it appears when fully applied.

Figure 7 is a further enlarged detail view showing a single tie threaded in readiness for application according to said method.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig, 2 showing in perspective the top ticking partially applied to a mattress body which has been pre-quilted in accordance with another method constituting a different embodiment of this invention.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail View in cross section longitudinally of the mattress body showing. the ticking secured thereto at one point and in process of being secured thereto at another point.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing on an enlarged scale the manner in which the ends of the straps or ribbons used in the quilting operation according to this modified method, are anchored to the mattress carcass.

Like partsare identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

For the purposes of illustration I have shown a mattress body generically designated by reference character It, made up of an inner spring unit I, layers It of sisal on each face of the inner spring unit, and layers I! of felt or the like covering the sisal and padding the inner spring unit. The inner spring unit is provided with upper and lower wire frames l8 about which the layers l6 and I? of sisal and felt are rolled as shown in Fig. 4. In the completed mattress a strip of ticking I9 is applied about the sides and ends of the mattress body and connected by a taped seam along the edges thereof to the top and bottom ticking facing sheets 2i and 22 respectively. It is with the quilting which anchors the various plies of the mattress in between the margins thereof, that this application is particularly concerned.

Both of the methods herein disclosed involve the preliminary application to the top and bottom ticking sheets 2| and 22 of 'a series of transversely extending straps 25 which are folded upon themselves about an ordinary heavy string or cord 26 as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The ends of the cord 26 are turned over and sewed at 2'! to the strap 25 either in connection with the attachment of the folded strap to the ticking sheet, or any other tie with reference to such attachment. A single seam 23 close to the cord may be used to sew each of the folded straps 25 throughout its length to the inner face of the ticking sheet 2i (or 22 as the case may be).

According to the method disclosed in Figs. 1 to 7, additional steps involve the top ply of ticking 2| prior to its application to the mattress body. The quilting ties which comprise a single piece of string or cord 29 as shown in Fig. 7, are looped upon themselves at 30 to form two strands which are then knotted at 3| to leave free ends 32 and 33. The looped end 30 of each of the ties 29 is passed through a quilting needle 34 and drawn through one of the straps 25 around the cord 2% therein contained at the point where quilting is desired. In Fig. 5, at one point of the second strap 25 the needle 34 is shown penev a time.

the next station the tie has been pulled tight about the bight of the strap 25 and the cord 26 therein contained, thus leaving this final tie in the same condition :as all of the ties which have theretofore been applied to the first strap of the ticking ply 25.

The same operation is repeated for the successive straps until each strap is provided at predetermined stations with a series of preformed ties each of which has a predetermined length from the strap to its knot at 31, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. l

The ticking is now ready for application to the mattress body. The body is temporarily placed on a ply M of burlap as shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2. The free ends of the tie 32 and 33, of the knot 3| are now inserted through the eye of the needle and the needle is used to draw the free end portions and the knotted end of each tie in succession through the entire body of the mattress as shown in Fig. 2. The needle is passed down through the body of the mattress and through the burlap ply 49, the function of the burlap ply being frictionally to retain the ends of the ties until the second ticking ply can be positioned.

When all of the several ties originally mounted .on the top ticking ply have been passed through the body of the mattress in this manner, the

top ticking ply is held to the body of the mattress solely by friction of the ties in the mattress body and, more particularly, in a temporary burlap facing. The mattress body is now inverted to bring the temporary burlap facing uppermost and the other ticking ply 22 is thereupon attached as follows:

The burlap is stripped from one row of ties at This will leave the free ends 32 and 33 of each tie exposed. One of these ends will be inserted in the eye of the needle and the needle will thereupon be used to draw this single free end through the adjacent strap of the bottom ticking ply 22 and about the cord 26 therein contained. Considerable tension will have to be exerted since the quilting operation is actually performed at this time to subject the body of the mattress to compression.

As soon as theend 33 has been drawn through to bring the knot 3| up against the strap 25, the

ventional operation of making the seams 241 along its upper and lower margins.

According to the operation shown in Figs. 8 to 10, which from many standpoints is to be preferred, the quilting of the body of the mattress is complete independently of the top and bottom layers of ticking.

The mattress body It may be made in any desired manner as, for example, that already described. The top and bottom plies 2| and 22 are likewise identical to those already described, even including the provision of the straps 25 folded about the reinforcing cords 26 and stitched by a seam 28 preliminarily to the facing sheets 2| and 22 of ticking. It will, of course, be understood that the straps 25 are preferably narrow strips of fabric. Tape may be used or the strips 25 may be made of trimmings saved from the fabric cutting operations involved in mattress manufacture.

Before either of the ticking faces 2| or 22 is applied to the mattress body, the ties 290 are first drawn completely through the body. It is not necessary in this method of procedure to employ the temporary burlap ply, As before, the ties are of predetermined length but in this instance each tie is preferably made from two separate cords 29| and 292 knotted together at 3H] and 3H, there being a fixed distance between these knots. The short ends of the tie projecting at 5520 and 333 are virtually identical to those already described. In addition, the tie preferably has longer end portions at 32! and 33!.

The long ends 32l and 33l of the respective ties are placed in the eye of the quilting needle 34 and drawn through the body l0 until the knot 3H] is drawn down on to the top surface of the mattress body. After all of the ties are in place on the mattress body, the ties of a given row are pulled slightly upwardly of the body sufficiently to raise the knots 3| I! from the upper surface of the body and to permit a loose tape or strap 2% to be passed between the cords Hi and 292 and beneath the knot 3W. The final step of this operation is shown at the lower right in Fig. 8. When the tape or strap 250 is in place its ends ma either be left free as shown in Fig. 8, or they may be carried about the roll of felt at the side of the mattress and stitched through the felt to the frame 68 of the spring unit as shown in Fig. 10.

In either case the mattress will now be inverted and tapes or straps inserted in like manner on its opposite face.

The spacing between the knots 3H] and 3 is So determined with reference to the thickness of the mattress body as to require a substantial compression of the mattress body to expose the knot 35 I for the drawing of a tape therebeneath. The operator simply compresses the mattress body with one hand, pulling up on the free end portions 32! and 33l of the tie with the other hand until the knot is lifted above the face of the body, whereupon he can draw the tape or strap 25% beneath the knot and release his compression of the body to enable the bodys recoil to bind the strap or tape firmly beneath the knot. This operation is repeated at each station until the bottom of the body, like the top, is traversed by a series of tapes or straps each of which is held beneath a knot of the tie so that the body portion of the mattress is bound together and fully quilted before either of the ticking plies is connected thereto.

The operation of connecting the ticking plies is now identical with the operation of applying the last ply to the mattress in accordance with the previously described method. It will be recalled that each of the plies has previously been supplied with straps 25 folded about reinforcing cords and stitched to the ticking. The needle is used to draw one of the exposed free ends of a iven tie through the strap and about the reinforcing cord at each station, whereupon the other free end of the tie is used to make a knot with the first free end and this knot is drawn up tightly upon the folded strap and its unfolded reinforcing cord to unite the ticking sheet permanently to the mattress body at each station.

The arrangement by which the reinforcing cord 26 is folded into the bight of the folded strap '25 and stitched continuously throughout its length to a transverse dimension of the ticking distributes the strain involved in the quilting and ensures a long life for the mattress. At the sametiine the fact that each tie is passed through the strap positions the end o'fthe tie accurately at the predetermined station and makes any lateral shifting of the quilting impossible. This last feature is, of course, not present in the prequilted body shown in Fig. 8 until both of the ticking plies have been attached as shown in Fig. 9.

An important advantage of the invention as herein disclosed consists in the factthat it not only makes a neat product in which all the knots used in quilting are concealed beneath the ticking but, moreover, the operation may readily be performed without special mattress making machinery or equipment, thus making it as easy and inexpensive for the small manufacturer to produce this type of mattress as it is for the large manufacturer to do so.

I claim:

1. A quilting operation including the connection of quilting ties at spaced stations to a tick ing ply, passing said quilting ties through a compressible body and a temporary fabric ply at the opposite face thereof tosecure said ticking ply on the face of the body, said temporary fabric ply friction-ally retaining the ends of said quilting ties, the inversion of the united ticking ply, body,

and temporary fabric ply, and the gradual stripping of the temporary fabric ply from the projecting ties while connecting the several ties to a second ticking ply when such ties are released by the stripping of the temporary fabric ply 1:

therefrom.

2. A method of quilting cover piies to a coinpressible body, which method includes the stitching to anchor straps transversely of each of said cover plies at corresponding points along the inner faces thereof, the connection of quilting ties at spaced points along the anchor straps of one of said cover plies, passing the successive ties through the bodyand through a temporary'fabriclply on the remote face thereof, said temporary fabric ply serving frictionally to retain the exposed ends of said quilting ties,the stripping from said body and from said exposed ends of the temporary fabric ply, and the connection to of said straps and about the enfolded cord there of in one of said cover plies, mounting said body upon a temporary retaining ply, superposing said one cover ply on said body, and passing the respective quilting ties through the body and said temporary retaining ply, whereby frictionally to anchor temporarily the projecting ends of said ties, inverting the assembled first cover ply, body, and temporary retaining-ply to expose the projecting ends of said ties, stripping the retaining ply from said ends, and applying the second cov- =er ply to said body while knotting each 'of said ties under tension to the straps of the second cover ply and the enfolded cord.

4. Themethod of quilting upon a compressible *body, whichincludesthe knotting of quilting ties at a spacing less than the uncompressed thickness of the body, the several quilting ties being passed through the body,'the anchorage of each of said knots against displacement into the corresponding faces of the body, whereby the ties aretensioned and the body is compressed-at the location of the several ties, and the connection of cover plies to the body by securing said cover plies to portions of said ties projecting beyond the knot thereof.

5.-A method of quilting cover plies upon a compressible body, which method comprises the steps of applying strips of material to the faces of the body, passing tie cords through the body, said tie cords being knotted about said strips on'each face of the body at points spaced less than the uncompressed thickness of the body, whereby said body is compressed at the location of each such tie cord, and the connection of the cover plies to the body by connecting each cover ply to one of the aforesaid ties.

6. The method of making a quilted product involving the application of cover plies to a compressible body, which method comprises the free quilting of the body by applying ties therethrough under tension and anchoring the ends of the ties upon narrow strips applied to the face of the body, and thereafter connecting the cover plies" with said ties.

'7. A method of quilting which includes the passing through a compressible body, of ties knotted intermediate their ends at spaced intervals lessthan the uncompressed thickness of said body, connecting the knots of said ties upon narrow strips traversing said body, compressing the body, anchoring the knots of said ties with refmethod comprises the knotting of multi strand quilting ties at points intermediate their respective ends and spaced closer than the normal thickness of the uncompressed body, passing said ties through said body at predetermined tations, passing narrow strips between the strands of the respective ties and within the knots thereof along one face of said body, compressing the body, subjecting the ties to tension, drawing narrow strips along the other face of the compressed body between the strands of said ties and within the knots thereof, whereby to pre-quilt said body, and subsequently attaching cover plies to the projecting ends of the quilting ties beyond the first mentioned knots thereof.

9. A quilting method involving the application of cover plies to a compressible body, said method comprising the stitching of straps to the inner faces of the cover plies, the knotting of multistrand quilting ties intermediate their ends at spaced points less distant than the faces of the uncompressed body, passing the respective ties through said body in rows corresponding to the locations of said straps on the cover plies, passing anchorage strips between the strands and beneath the knots of said ties on one face of the body, compressing the body to expose the knots adjacent the other face thereoipassing anchorage strips between the strands of the ties and beneath the knots thus exposed, and connecting the cover piles to the respective faces of the body by passing through said straps the ends of the-ties projecting beyond the knots.

10. A quilting method involving the application of cover plies to a compressible body, which method comprises the enfolding of reinforcing cords in straps, stitching the straps at spaced points adjacent the enfolded cords to the inner faces of the respective cover plies, knotting multistrand quilting ties intermediate their ends at points spaced closer than the normal thickness .of the uncompressed body, passing the several ties through said body in rows at spacing corresponding to the spacing of the straps upon the cover plies, passing anchor strips along the several rows between the strands of the several tie and beneath the knots thereof, inverting the body, compressing the body adjacent each of said ties and tensioning said ties to expose the other knots thereof, passing anchorage strips between the strands of said ties and beneath said other knots, and passing portions of the projecting end of each tie through one of said straps and about the reinforcing cord thereof, and connecting said tie portion to other tie portions, whereby to secure the cover plies to the pro-quilted body.

11. A quilted mattress or the like comprising the combination with a compressible body, of a series of rows of quilting ties extending therethrough under tension, cover plies on opposite *faces of said body, anchorage cords supported upon the faces of said body and about which the ends of the respective ties are connected, straps enfolding said cords and extending along the several rows of ties, and stitching connecting said straps substantially throughout their length to said cover plies, said cords distributing the tension of said ties to said body independently of said cover plies.

12. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a compressible body and cover plies therefor, of a series of quilting ties comprising multiple strands extending through said body in rows and under tension, anchorage means extending across the faces of said body along said rows and between the strands of the several quilting ties, mean connecting the quilting ties to said anchorage means whereby said body is pro-quilted, and means connecting the ends of said quilting ties beyond said anchorage means with said cover plies.

13. A device of the character described C0111- prising the combination with a compressible body and cover plies therefor, of a series of quilting ties comprising multiple strands extending through said body in rows and under tension, anchorage means extending across the faces of said body along said rows and between the strands of the several quilting ties, means connecting the quilting ties to said anchorage means whereby said body is pre-quilted, and means connecting the ends of said quilting ties beyond said anchorage means with said cover plies, said connecting means comprising straps stitched along said row to the inner faces of the cover plies.

14. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a compressible body and cover plies therefor, of a series of quilting ties comprising multiple strands extending through said body in rows and under-tension, anchorage means extending acros the faces of said body along said rows and between the strands of the several quilting ties, means connecting the quilting ties to said anchorage means whereby said body is pre-quilted, and means connecting the ends of said quilting ties beyond said anchorage means with said cover plies, said connecting means comprising straps stitched along said row to the inner faces of the cover plies, and cords enfolded in said straps, said ties passing through the respective straps and being connected about said cords.

15. The method of quilting cover plies to a mattress body, which comprises the preknotting of ties, at points to be determinative of body compression at the respective ties, the connection of the preknotted ties to one cover ply, passing the preknotted ties through the uncompressed body, applying a second cover ply to the face of said body from which said ties project, and fastening the respective ties to said last mentioned cover ply at points determined by the preformed knots of said ties, while compressing said body at each tie prior to the time of attaching said tie to the last mentioned cover ply.

16. The method of quilting cover plies to a mattress body, which comprises the fastening of anchorage means to the respective cover plies, the folding of a series of cords upon themselves to constitute a duplex tie having a closed bight at one end and free ends at the other, the knotting of each such duplex tie at a predetermined distance from its bight and at a point spaced from its free ends, the connection of the bight end of each such tie to the anchorage strip of one of said cover plies, passing the respective ties through the uncompressed mattress body to hold temporarily to said body the cover plies with which such ties are connected, the application of the other cover ply to the opposite face of the body, the compression of the body to expose the knots of the ties, and the tying of the free ends of said ties to the anchorage strip of the last mentioned ply at a point determined by the knots of the respective ties, whereby to maintain said body under compression.

17. The method of quilting cover plies to a compressible body, which method comprises the knotting of tie members intermediate their ends at points determinative of the thickness to which such body is to be compressed at such tie members, such tie member having sufficient length to project from the uncompressed body, connecting one end of each such tie member with one cover ply, passing said tie members through the uncompressed body with their ends projecting, the compression of said body sufficiently to expose the knots of successive tie members, and the connection of such tie members to the other cover ply at points determined by said knots.

18. The method of quilting cover plies to a compressible body, which method includes the enfolding of reinforcing cords in straps, the stitching of the straps substantially throughout their respective length to the respective cover plies at spaced intervals on the inner surface of each such cover ply, the knotting of a series of multistrand ties at points intermediate their ends, whereby each such tie has a free end projecting beyond its knot, the knots of the respective ties being located at predetermined points determinative of the desired body compression, passing each tie through the uncompressed body, the compression of the body and the connection of each such tie through the strap of each cover ply and about the cord thereof, the connection of each tie with at least one of said cover plies being at a point determined by a knot of said tie.

19. The method of quilting cover plies to a compressible body, which includes the enfolding of a re-enforcing cord in a strap, stitching the strap to a cover ply, connecting a multi-strand tie through the strap about the cord at each of each such multi-strand tie at a predetermined spacing from the cord and at points spaced from their respective free ends, passing such ties through the uncompressed body, applying a like strap and reinforcing cord to a second cover ply, applying a second cover ply to the body, compressing the body, and passing the free ends of the respective ties through said strap of said second cover ply and about the cord therein. to the extent determined by said knot, and there fastening each such tie to the reinforced strap of said second cover ply.

20. The method of quilting cover plies to a compressible body, which method includes the l connection of ties with one cover ply, the knotting of such ties at points having a predetermined spacing from said cover ply and beyond which knots the free ends of said ties project, the application of a temporary cover to the first face of said body, the application of said cover ply to said second face of said body, passing said ties through the uncompressed body and said temporary cover to be frictionally retained in said cover, the application of a second cover ply to the first face of said body while compressing said body and stripping said temporary cover therefrom to expose the knotted portions of said ties, and the connection of the respective plies to the second cover ply at points determined by the knots therein.

21. A method of manufacture of a mattress which includes enfolding a cord longitudinally in a strap, stitching the straps to a ticking ply, knotting multi-strand quilting ties at points spaced from respective free ends of the strands, passing the plural ends of the strands comprising each tie through an uncompressed mattress body leaving portions of the strands at a face thereof, anchoring the said portions of the strands adjacent said face, compressing the body, passing at least one of said ends through the folded strap to an extent determined by said knot and about the cord enfolded therein at the other face of the body and the knotting of said ends upon said less mattress, which method includes the substantially continuous marginal connection of straps transversely to the inner surfaces of the respective ticking plies at spaced intervals, the knotting of multiple strands at least one point intermediate their ends to provide a closed loop between said strands and strand ends projecting beyond the respective knots, said knotted strands comprising ties, anchoring said strand ties at corresponding portions of their respective loops adjacent one face of the compressible mattress body and connecting said strands to the free margins of the aforesaid straps of one ticking ply at said face, carrying knotted portions and projecting free strand ends of the respective multiple strand ties through the uncompressed body of the mattress, compressing said body to expose the knots of said strands, and connecting the free ends of the strands to the free margins of said straps at points along said ties determined by said knots.

23. The method of assembling ticking plies to a compressible mattress body in the manufacture of a tuftless mattress, which method comprises knotting multiple strands at points spaced from at least one of their respective ends to provide loop portions of fixed dimensions constituting ties for the predetermined compression of said body in the connection of ticking plies thereto, en folding cords longitudinally in the respective bights of folded straps, stitching the side margins of the respective straps together to the respective ticking plies at spaced intervals, leaving the bight portions of the respective straps and the enfolded cord free,,passing the knotted portion and free strand ends of the stranded ties through the uncompressed body, anchoring the loop portions of the respective tie by securing them through the bights of the straps of one of said ticking plies and about the cords enfolded in said bights, compressing said body adjacent each of said ties to expose the knot, fastening at least one of the free strand ends of each tie through the bight of a strap of the superposed ticking ply and about the cord enfolded therein,

and, forming a second knot between said free strand ends whereby said cord and bight are engaged between the knots of each tie and serve to distribute the tension of each tie through said strap to adjacent portions of said superposed ticking ply.

24. A quilted mattress or the like, comprising the combination with a compressible body and cover plies therefor, of longitudinally folded straps stitched at correspondingly spaced intervals to the inner faces of the cover plies, anchorage cords enfolded in the respective straps, and quilting ties at predetermined stations having corresponding portions passing through the straps stitched to one of said cover plies and about the anchorage cords enfolded therein, said ties having locating knots uniformly spaced from their said portions and also having other portions immediately adjacent said locating knots passing through straps stitched to the other cover ply and about the cords enfolded in said last mentioned straps at points on said ties determined by said locating knots thereof, said locating knots being less distant from the first mentioned portions of said ties than the uncompressed thickness of said body and said ties extending through said body, whereby to subject said body to compression between said straps and to retain said cover plies on the faces of the body.

25. The method of quilting cover plies to a mattress body, said method comprising the following steps regardless of order except as expressly stated herein: preknotting each of a plurality of ties at points spaced from the ends of the respective ties whereby to be determinative of body compression at such tie, the connection of said ties at points uniformly spaced from the knots thereof to one cover ply, passing the preknotted ties through the uncompressed body, the application of a second cover ply to the face of said body from which the preknotted portions of the ties project, fastening the respective ties to the last mentioned cover ply at points on said ties determined by the preformed knots thereof, and compressing said body at each tie prior to the time of attaching the respective tie to the last mentioned cover ply.

REINHOLD W. MARQUARDT. 

